In the throes of passionate kissing, Sanskar and Swara found themselves lost in a world of desire. As their fervor intensified, Sanskar's hands skillfully traced the zipper of his jacket, seeking to shed it with Swara's assistance.

Gently easing down the zipper of Swara's jacket, Sanskar deftly removed it, then buried his face in the curve of her neck, teasing her with delicate nibbles.

A shiver of anticipation coursed through Swara's body, eliciting a soft moan. "Oh, Sanskar, please... be gentle," she pleaded, lost in the moment.

Swara's soft sigh fueled Sanskar's excitement, prompting him to lift her onto the couch and settle atop her. Driven by their overwhelming desire, they were on the verge of sealing their commitment to each other when the piercing ringtone of Sanskar's phone shattered the intimacy.

Growing irritated, Sanskar brushed off the call without even sparing it a glance. However, the persistent caller continued to intrude, disrupting Sanskar and Swara's connection time and time again, testing their patience.

"Sanskar, you should answer it; it might be important," Swara murmured into Sanskar's ear.

"Nothing could be more important than this," Sanskar countered, his voice low and filled with longing.

With a decisive gesture, he stood up and powered off his phone, casting it aside. Shrugging off his black vest, he returned to Swara's side, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss, completely immersed in the moment.

'Sanskar, I couldn't reach you on your phone, so I resorted to a mind link to inform you that our territory is under attack by the rogue King,' Laksh's mind-link message interrupted Sanskar's actions abruptly.

Taken aback, Sanskar paused, receiving unexpected communication through the psychic connection. 'What? Who gave him the courage to initiate this one-sided battle?' He demanded fiercely through the mental link.

'Confidential informants disclosed that the vampire king, Rajat Shah, got his back.'

The recent revelation ignited fury within Sanskar; Rajat Shah was a thorn in his side, and he couldn't allow him another opportunity to terrorize his people. Hastily, he rose, donned his vest, and powered on his mobile phone.

"What's the matter, Sanskar? Is there any problem?" Swara inquired, her confusion evident as she gazed at Sanskar's tense expression.

Realizing he had inadvertently ignored Swara, Sanskar sighed and rubbed his forehead before taking a seat on the couch beside her.

"There's nothing wrong, sweetheart. It just hit me that I have an important meeting with some foreign clients at the office. I can't afford to miss it. I'm sorry, honey," he fibbed smoothly, tenderly holding her hand.

"There is no need to apologize; I understand completely. That call must have been a reminder from your secretary; you shouldn't have ignored it," Swara replied innocently.

"It's fine; I remembered just in time," Sanskar said, helping her slip into her jacket.

"But I'd feel awful if you missed it because of me," Swara protested with a pout.

Sanskar couldn't help but admire her even more. "It's not because of you, alright?" he replied, gently pulling up the zipper of her jacket and drawing her face closer by holding onto the zipper, planting a quick kiss on her lips.

Swara playfully nudged his arm. "Okay, okay, enough romance. Move already..."

She attempted to push him away, but Sanskar gently grasped both of her hands. "Swara, please follow my instructions today. After your workout, just go straight to your room and keep yourself occupied with anything you like. But don't leave the villa, not for company nor anywhere else, got it?"

'Doesn't he have an important client coming today? Why is he restricting my movements?' Swara wondered, sensing an unusual shift in his demeanor.

"Is everything alright with you or the company? Any bad news again?" Swara asked, feeling a slight sense of panic as memories of recent traumatic events flooded back to her.

"Please don't panic; everything's alright. I just don't feel comfortable letting you wander around alone until I formally announce your status as my mate. Swara, please understand and give me some time. I promise, very soon I'll host a party to publicly declare your true significance in my life," Sanskar reassured her gently, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Take care of yourself, and don't hesitate to ask Mrs. Wilson for help if you need anything," he added, planting a soft kiss on her forehead before rising and striding out, already dialing a number on his phone.

"Mrs. Wilson, I need you to personally ensure Swara's safety while I'm gone and make sure nobody tells her about the attack," Sanskar instructed firmly before ending the call.

Feeling a bit melancholic after Sanskar's departure, Swara roamed around the gym alone for a while before finally deciding to start her workout. As she began practicing punches in front of the punching bag, fully absorbed in her routine, she suddenly detected someone sneaking into the room.

"It appears someone is putting in a lot of effort to train, but what's the point for a wizard?" Kavita remarked, casting a disdainful glance at Swara.

Swara felt irritation rise at the sound of Kavita's voice, but she managed to compose herself nonetheless.

"Why can't I train? There's no harm in giving it a shot. Who knows? Maybe I'll become a warrior one day," Swara shot back, her tone just as defiant as Kavita's.

Kavita was taken aback upon hearing Swara's voice, realizing that Adarsh's spy must have failed to administer the potion that was supposed to render her mute forever.

A sly smirk crept onto Swara's lips as she observed the stunned expression on Kavita's face. Kavita quickly composed herself upon noticing Swara's smirk.

"It looks like you've found your voice again." Kavita taunted, but Swara's smirk only widened, unimpressed by her feeble attempt.

"It's been back for quite some time now. But judging by your shocked reaction, I guess you didn't see that coming, did you? After all, you went to great lengths to ensure I'd never regain it," Swara countered, launching a direct verbal jab and scrutinizing Kavita's every reaction keenly.

"You can't just throw accusations at me like that!" Kavita objected, striding purposefully towards Swara, hoping to intimidate her.

Swara stood her ground, unflinching in the face of Kavita's approach. With confidence, she countered, "This isn't an accusation. I know you had someone tamper with my food, intending to render me mute forever. But you underestimated me—I have a keen sense of smell and never ingested that soup."

Kavita was taken aback once again; she hadn't expected Swara to be not only so astute but also assertive enough to defy her. Annoyance simmered within her.

"You—" Kavita started, her irritation evident as she raised her hand to slap Swara. But before she could make contact, Swara intercepted her, seizing her hand and giving it a firm jerk, causing Kavita to stumble backwards.

"That's it. I've had my fill of your attitude and manipulations. I'm well aware of all your tricks, and I won't hesitate to expose them to Sanskar whenever I see fit," Swara declared, her voice cutting with resolve.

"Go ahead and try, but he won't listen to you. Who are you to him, anyway? Swara, you can't compare to me in his life. I am Sanskar's destined Luna," Kavita boasted confidently, aiming to assert her dominance with her ultimate trump card.

Swara shook her head, listening to Kavita's lie with confidence. "Kavita, dear, I must commend your commitment to the role of Sanskar's 'mate.' It's almost Shakespearean in its tragic comedy. As for the truth about who is his mate, we both knew it well."

Kavita was startled at first, but soon grew increasingly frustrated as she came to terms with the fact that her secret weapon had been exposed.

'Sanskar, I never imagined you would disclose this to Swara so quickly. What kind of spell has she cast on you to suddenly become your most beloved? How could you forget your promise?' Kavita seethed with resentment, her throat tightening as she swallowed hard.

'I refuse to accept defeat and allow Swara to undermine me,' Kavita vowed silently, her mind already concocting a plan to retaliate against Swara and reclaim her position.

"So, he spilled the beans, did he? But has he made your identity public? Not yet, I assume? Didn't he ask for some time?" Kavita quipped, arching her eyebrows.

"How did you find out?" Swara questioned in surprise, to which Kavita responded with a mocking laugh.

"Oh, Swara, you're too innocent. You still haven't grasped who Sanskar truly is. He'll never tolerate a weak Luna when he has someone like me as an alternative. He's just buying time and trying to figure out how to address this issue. If I were you, I'd leave Sanskar voluntarily rather than allowing him to belittle me," Kavita smoothly lied, aiming to incite Swara to leave Sanskar and pave the way for her own aspirations.

"I refuse to believe you, and I won't leave Sanskar. Instead, I'll prove myself worthy of him," Swara countered confidently.

Kavita frowned momentarily, then scanned her surroundings, a devious plan forming in her mind.

"Fine. If you're truly powerful and confident, then dare to challenge me to just one exercise right here. Are you up for it?" Kavita proposed, her voice laced with challenge.

"Alright, which exercise?" Swara agreed to the challenge.

"Let's try wall climbing," Kavita suggested, indicating the tall, straight wall that required scaling with a rope.

A few minutes later, they both started climbing the wall. Swara managed to maintain a slight edge over Kavita, but as they neared the top, Swara's rope suddenly snapped, causing her to plummet and land on her head.